American Paint Horse Association (APHA) was created in 1962 to promote western stock horses.
The bloodlines distinguish them. Unless they are registered Paints, American Paints are Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses.
The current American Paint Horses are said to have descended from Colonial Europe horses brought over during discovery and North American wild horses who ran in herds.
For American Paint Horse Association registration, height is not required. Paints are typically 14-16 hands tall, although some are bigger or smaller.
American Paint Horses have fingerprint-like coloration. Each Paint horse has distinct markings. No horse is identical.
A Pinto-qualified American Paint Horse adds to the breed's confusion. Since Pintos are any horse with spots, this is the norm.
This applies even if the horse is predominantly white with brown, black, or bay patches.
Although unusual, an American Paint might have a dominant white color gene that matches a white spotting gene.